copyright Ronda Del Boccio
The Family Legacy
The basement stank of burned flesh.
“It’s a gateway to outside our world,” my dad said, pointing to the hole. “They never stop coming, but light attracts them.”
I adjusted my night vision goggles. “Can we block it up?”
“You don’t think I’ve tried?”
A stygian tendril snaked out. Dad’s machete came down, severing it cleanly. I heard a shriek.
“They do that sometimes.” He tossed the writhing limb into the incinerator.
“What if they’re intelligent, if they need help?”
“We can’t risk it,” he said. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. All blood is black in the dark.”
The Green-Walled Tower 
April 3rd, 2019 at 12:18 pm
Dear David,
To meet you, you seem like such a ‘normal’ quiet person. (The kind you have to watch. 😉 ) This reminded me of a few sci fi movies I’ve known and loved. I could feel and smell the dank night air. Chilling.
Shalom,
Rochelle
April 4th, 2019 at 7:40 pm
You know what they say about us normal, quiet people. 🙂 I figured it had been a while since I’d written a dark piece. Maybe I’ll write a love story next time.
April 3rd, 2019 at 12:44 pm
I liked the morality here
April 3rd, 2019 at 3:55 pm
It’s going to be a long shift to keep that guarded, and I’m glad it’s them not me!
April 4th, 2019 at 7:39 pm
Yeah, me too. 🙂
April 3rd, 2019 at 4:01 pm
Something chilling going on here. Excellent, disturbing, story.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
April 4th, 2019 at 7:37 pm
Thanks, Susan. I’m glad you liked it.
April 3rd, 2019 at 4:29 pm
terror fills the basement, this is chilling and grizzly stuff, excellent
April 4th, 2019 at 7:37 pm
Thanks! Glad you liked it.
April 3rd, 2019 at 10:31 pm
This…is disturbing…
April 4th, 2019 at 7:36 pm
Very true. 🙂 I decided to do a darker one this time since I hadn’t for a while.
April 4th, 2019 at 1:45 am
Loved that last line! 😀
April 4th, 2019 at 7:36 pm
Thanks! I appreciate it.
April 5th, 2019 at 3:36 am
Most welcome, mate! 🙂
April 4th, 2019 at 3:02 am
Dad seems a bit single-minded.
Cool story.
April 4th, 2019 at 7:36 pm
Thanks! I wonder what the dad has seen, if he’s acting from fear or experience.
April 4th, 2019 at 6:02 am
Scary stuff. And a very true observation. Dad doesn’t seem like he wants to risk widening his horizons any.
April 4th, 2019 at 7:35 pm
You wonder if the son will do anything different. It would make an interesting novel premise.
April 4th, 2019 at 8:54 am
Gah! “You’ll get used to it” is perhaps one of the scariest lines in all this weeks stories.
April 4th, 2019 at 7:34 pm
Thanks! Yeah, there’s a lot of dark meaning behind words like that, at least in a context like this.
April 4th, 2019 at 9:37 am
Numbed by horror and things we don’t understand, where have I heard that before? Profound and horrifying.
April 4th, 2019 at 7:34 pm
True. Pretty dark stuff.
April 4th, 2019 at 10:54 am
Scary way to live. I suppose you become so after years of training. You learn to fear all instead of taking any chances. Well done, David.
April 4th, 2019 at 6:35 pm
Thanks, Dale!
April 5th, 2019 at 2:11 am
Eternal debate between protecting what is ours vs. reaching out to help. Father followed the first policy and is likely to pursue. Child seem have questions.
April 5th, 2019 at 4:19 am
You’ve really got me hooked on flash fiction, the brevity, the spareness of language. I marvel always at how you come up with your stories, just by gazing at a photo. It’s a science I’ve decided. 🙂
April 16th, 2019 at 8:29 pm
Actually, it’s becoming increasingly difficult, which is why I post late sometimes, not because I can’t think of a story, but because I can’t think of one I’m satisfied with.
April 17th, 2019 at 4:30 am
You’re still the master.
April 5th, 2019 at 4:35 am
All blood is black in the darkness of ignorance. Loved this.
April 16th, 2019 at 8:28 pm
You got it! Thanks for the comment.
April 5th, 2019 at 10:07 am
Very unsettling. I love the dilema, “what if they need help?” You could go so many directions with this story. Great job!
April 16th, 2019 at 8:11 pm
Thanks, Brenda!
April 8th, 2019 at 3:34 am
This has my mind going in many directions. The horror works really well, but the characters’ attitudes add a deeper layer. Very good.
April 8th, 2019 at 5:35 am
Oh my! I want to know more about what is going on here!
April 16th, 2019 at 8:10 pm
I sometimes use these short stories as seeds for later novels. Who knows? 🙂
April 8th, 2019 at 7:57 am
Wow…this one makes you think!
Great story.